Name: Round Spring
Location: Shannon County, Mo.
Rank: 16
Average Flow:
Million gallons per day: 33
Cubic feet per second: 51
Recharge Area:
Some of Round Spring's recharge lies to the southwest
over Spring Valley. Rainfall versus springflow patterns seem to indicate another recharge area to
the northeast. If this is so, some of Round Spring's flow would have to pass under the Current
River to reach the spring.
Interesting Information:
Spring rises in a circular, collapsed cavern, then
flows through a natural tunnel before forming the spring branch. Round has the largest variance in
measured flow from a minimum of 6.5 million gallons of water a day (mgd) to a record 239 mgd,
or a maximum 37 times larger than the minimum. Nearby Round Spring Caverns, has an
interesting geographical relationship with the spring, since one arm of the cave points almost
directly to the spring.
Brief History:
Round Spring was extensively used by native peoples in
prehistory, and was the site of an early 1800's gristmill. About a mile downstream was the original
location of Eminence, Missouri, which was destroyed during the Civil War. The spring was
located on the Eminence to Salem wagon road. Round Spring was the first site purchased for the
state park system in 1924; nearby Round Spring Caverns was opened privately to tourists in 1932.
Both the park and the caverns were incorporated into the Ozark National Scenic Riverways by
1972.
Ownership and Access:
Owned by the National Park Service since 1971.
Developed campground on the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. No charge for entry to view the
spring.